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Where We Stayed in Paris

A lot of you asked where we stayed in Paris with this incredible Eiffel Tower view from our window. Check out my hotel review and recommendations!Where to Stay in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris Hotel Recommendations + Travel Tips. #paris #travel #france #parishotels

Where We Stayed in Paris

I absolutely loved our view, and I loved the area that we stayed in, but to be completely honest, I’m not 1000% sure I would recommend where we stayed or if I would stay there again.

Below is our story of what happened, I’ll let you be the judge!

Where to Stay in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris Hotel Recommendations + Travel Tips. #paris #travel #france #parishotels

We stayed at the Hotel Splendid Eiffel Tower in a Junior Suite. This was the view from our room with our own little balcony. We could even clearly see our room from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

I didn’t take any pictures of the inside of our room because honestly, it wasn’t much to look at. It was very, very, old, and it showed. It was also tiny, even though we were in a “suite.” I can’t imagine what the regular rooms looked like! It was also not… perfectly pristine and white. There were stains on the carpet. The comforter on the bed was one of those floral motel-type bedspreads.

However, I am not a hotel snob, and the sheets and bathroom were clean, and there were no bugs, so I was fine with the room for the short amount of time we’d be in it. But if you’re squeamish about those types of things, definitely keep that in mind. But that’s not what made me unsure if I’d ever stay here again…

Where to Stay in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris Hotel Recommendations + Travel Tips. #paris #travel #france #parishotels

Here’s what it looked like from the outside. We stayed in that very tip top room. See the window in the roof?

Pros of Our Paris Hotel Room

  • There were outlets right by the bed.
  • There was WiFi, but it wasn’t free.
  • There was a full-length mirror.

Where to Stay in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris Hotel Recommendations + Travel Tips. #paris #travel #france #parishotels

Also, I loved the area and neighborhood we were in. We were walking distance to the Eiffel Tower, so almost every night before heading back to the hotel, we’d stop by and watch the light show that happens for 5 minutes at the top of every hour, until 1am.

Where to Stay in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris Hotel Recommendations + Travel Tips. #paris #travel #france #parishotels

Every hour on the hour, starting at sunset, the Eiffel Tower lights up with a spectacular 20,000 twinkling lights that sparkle for a completely magical five minutes. I tried to capture it in a photo, but couldn’t even come close to doing it justice. 

Where to Stay in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris Hotel Recommendations + Travel Tips. #paris #travel #france #parishotels

The neighborhood we were in was quiet and beautiful, filled with gorgeous shops and delicious restaurants.

Where to Stay in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris Hotel Recommendations + Travel Tips. #paris #travel #france #parishotels

Loved walking by a brand new bouquet of roses every day.

Where to Stay in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris Hotel Recommendations + Travel Tips. #paris #travel #france #parishotels

My favorite gelato in the entire world was also right there. We went here multiple times.

Where to Stay in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris Hotel Recommendations + Travel Tips. #paris #travel #france #parishotels

They have Nutella-stuffed crepes topped with ice cream, and waffles drizzled with Nutella and topped with more ice cream.

Where to Stay in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris Hotel Recommendations + Travel Tips. #paris #travel #france #parishotels

There was a cute little cookie shop, with deliciously soft, chewy, buttery cookies.

Where to Stay in Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris Hotel Recommendations + Travel Tips. #paris #travel #france #parishotels

And the view from our room was unforgettable.

Getting Stuck in the Elevator

However. On our second-to-last night in Paris, we walked into our hotel at 9:55pm, planning to be in our room to watch the 10pm show of the Eiffel Tower. We stepped into the elevator, pressed the button for the sixth floor, the elevator went up, and then… The door never opened. We waited. The door never opened. We waited a bit more. The door never opened. We pressed 6 again, and nothing happened. We pressed the Door Open button, and nothing happened. We pressed the Call button, and nothing happened. We pressed the Alarm button, and nothing happened. We were trapped in the elevator.

We start knocking on the doors, hoping someone would hear us, and about 10 minutes later, we hear the front desk clerk on the other side of the door. He said that he would call for help, but it’d be at least an hour before anyone could get here, if he could even get ahold of the elevator company this late at night. In the meantime, he totally accused us of breaking the elevator and insisted that it was our fault and something we did to cause the doors not to open. Nice. Kick us while we’re down. Before you go saying anything about the French, that was the only time during our entire trip that anyone was even remotely close to rude to us. Everyone else was completely lovely.

Anyway, we settled in, sat down on the floor, and fortunately the WiFi worked, so we just played on our phones. We were exhausted from a full day walking all over Paris, and had been up since before sunrise. All in all, we ended up only being stuck in the elevator for an hour. The fire department came and rescued us. We had to step up about a foot to get out. We walked into our room at exactly 10:55 pm, just in time to watch the 11pm Eiffel Tower show.

So while it wasn’t the most traumatic thing that’s ever happened to me, and we did end up getting back on that same elevator the next night… Combined with everything else… I’m not sure that I would stay there again. I mean, it wasn’t THAT bad, but… Maybe I’d see if we could find better at still a decent price. :)


View Paris in a larger map

Here’s a map of everything we did in Paris, including GPS locations, in case you want to find them on your own.

Click here to see this map on a larger screen along with a list of all the places we went.

This is my LAST post from our 15 day European Vacation!! I hope you’ve enjoyed following along with us.

There’s so much more to come soon! :)

 

More From our Scotland, London and Paris Vacation!

What to Do in Scotland

Scotland Day 1 & 2 — Inverness, Loch Ness, Skye, and Talisker Bay
Scotland Day 3 — Skye, Fairy Pools, The Highlands, and Oban
Scotland Day 4 — Islands of Scotland: Mull, Iona, and the Cave of Melodies
Scotland Day 5 — Fa’side Castle, Edinburgh
Scotland Day 6 – Edinburgh & Castle Driving the Coast of Scotland
Everything I Ate In Scotland — Restaurant Guide for Scotland

Where to Go in London

London Day 1 — Notting Hill, Seven Dials, and The London Eye
London Day 2 — Tower of London, Borough Market, and Big Ben
London Day 3 — Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Fortnum and Mason
London Day 4 — Bakery Hopping, Harrods Food Hall, and the London Tower Bridge
London Day 4 — Sunset at The View from The Shard
Where We Stayed In London — Hotel Indigo Tower Hill
Everything I Ate In London — Restaurant Guide for London

Exploring Paris

Paris Day 1 — Sunset at the Eiffel Tower
Paris Day 2 — A Walk Through Montmartre
Paris Day 3 — Palace of Versailles
Paris Day 3 — Garden of Versailles
Paris Day 4 — Sightseeing & Landmarks
Paris Day 5 — Hidden Paris (Self Guided Photography / Walking Tour)
Everything I Ate In Paris — Restaurant Guide for Paris
Where We Stayed In Paris — Incredible View of the Eiffel Tower

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24 Responses
  1. Sam

    Thank you so much for posting this awesome information! My mom and I are visiting Paris for a few days on our way to see relatives in Germany. So many good ideas and tips here!

  2. Debbie

    You sure are lucky the elevator was big enough to sit when you got stuck! In Europe, so many are so small you can only stand!

  3. Jovelyn@Brucrewlife

    Getting stuck on an elevator would give me the heebie geebies! I’m so glad you weren’t stuck in there for long! And such incredible pics of the Eiffel Tower! :)

  4. Andie

    I was going to also recommend that next time you go to Paris, consider renting an apartment. I had a friend who frequently went there tell me that apartments were the way to go. They told me about VacationinParis.com and we booked our apartment through them and it was AWESOME. First of all, you pay in US dollars, so the cost comes out cheaper because you’re not having to pay in Euros, etc…. and the USD to Euro is terrible! Also, you don’t have to pay conversion fees. We stayed at an apartment right off Rue Montorgueil in the 2nd arrondissement- which was great because Rue Montorgueil is a food lover’s dream. We’d get bread, wine, cheese, pastries, chicken, etc. and bring it back to our apartment to eat dinner in the evenings after our feet ached. They also have apartments with views of the Eiffel Tower, etc.

    Seeing all of your pictures makes me miss Paris, though. It’s been a long time since we went and now I want to go back! LOL

  5. Haley @Cupcakes and Sunshine

    Ahhh, that’s frightening! And one of my biggest fears. I wouldn’t be staying there again either because of the lack of help and kindness. I’m so glad that you weren’t in there too long!

  6. Deborah

    First of all, what an amazing trip. I need to take this same trip now and walk in your exact footsteps!!

    I can totally see being turned off by the elevator escapade. And not just that you got stuck, but that you were accused of breaking the elevator. Who in their right mind would break an elevator to get stuck in it? That certainly doesn’t make any sense at all.

    I was in Paris many years ago, and the thing I remember most about the place we stayed was that it was above a restaurant that continually smelled like ham soup. We affectionally called it Jambon. It’s a memory that will stay with me forever, though!! :)

  7. Barbara @ Barbara Bakes

    Good think you are claustrophobic. Some people would have freaked out. It is a beautiful neighborhood though.

  8. Helen

    We have stayed several times at Hotel Muguet. It is a small charming hotel off the busy streets in the rue Cler area. Charline, the mgr, is delightful. The desk clerks are helpful and kind. The hotel is very clean, rooms are large and attractively furnished. The daily breakfast is a bit expensive but totally worth it if you have a long day of sightseeing ahead of you. It is a 20 min walk/stroll to the Eiffel Tower, 5 min to the rue Cler market and 2 metro stops are nearby. In my opinion, it is just about perfect. Make your reservations online for the best prices and personal service. There are rooms with views of the Eiffel Tower.

    1. SHirley

      I stayed here in February and it was absolutely beautiful. he room was clean and not overly decorated but VERY tasteful. Sergio at the front desk was an awesome help and the room was a very nice sivze. I’d stay here agian in a heartbeat.

  9. Tessa @ Handle the Heat

    Your eiffel tower pictures are incredible!! When my family went to Paris I was about 13 and had a disposable camera… needless to say my eiffel tower pictures were horrendous haha!

    Getting stuck in an elevator is terrifying, esp in a foreign city. The last time I got stuck in an elevator was at Blogher Food Atlanta haha! It was only 10 minutes but it felt like an hour. I can’t imagine what an hour actually felt like. Glad you made it out alive ;)

  10. Nicole

    The elevator incident is terrible but something that happens with elevators in old French buildings… And I am not surprised that the hotel employee was rude… Also very common in Paris! It’s such a shame. Paris is such a lovely city… I agree with Rachel, renting an apartment is the best solution and not more expensive than staying in a hotel.

  11. Bonnie Morgan

    We stayed in this hotel one night and I made dozens of pictures of the Eiffel Tower on the little balcony,however, we moved to another hotel the next night. Our room was so small you could sit on the toilet put your foot in the tub and hands in the sink and nothing else. There was not room for both of us to put our luggage and walk around. I didn’t like sitting on the bedspread because it was slick and gave me the creeps but the sheets were clean. I later felt I was so spoiled and was ashamed of myself so it is good to know others felt the same way.

  12. Rachel C.

    My mom and I went to Paris a few months ago and I highly recommend avoiding hotels and renting an apartment for the week. We ended up in a lovely apartment 2 blocks from the Eiffel Tower- bedroom, living room (with pull out bed), bathroom, 1/2 bathroom, and kitchen for around $220 a night. It was so spacious and comfortable and we felt like we really got the experience of “living” in Paris- even if for a short while. Plus, we could buy fresh ingredients at the market and prepare them in our kitchen, which saved on some dining out bills.

    1. Carmen

      Hi Rachel,

      Not sure if you will see this but can you give me the website or contact info that you used? Thanks! ckaemingk at gmail dot com. Thanks!

  13. Stefanie

    We also had an amazing view of Eiffel, the room was tiny and smelled incredibly smoky. Nothing we did helped for that and it was horrid. The shower was so small, we had to step out of it if we dropped the soap. I loved Paris though and also found the people (for the most part) helpful and friendly.

  14. Tamar

    I went to Paris last November, and everyone recommended to me checking out Airbnb.com rather than finding a hotel, as Parisian hotels are notoriously old and small! We loved our experience with renting an apartment- sure, we didn’t have anyone to clean up after us every morning, but it felt like such an authentic way to experience the city! We went down to the shops and buy bread, butter and cheeses to feast on for dinner, croissants and jams for breakfast… drooling just thinking about it. I will definitely go about the same solution next time I visit Paris (this also means you have the added bonus of meeting the renter — most reviews on the site said the hosts were lovely and gracious, shared tips and secret favorites… our guy was no different! )

  15. Lauren

    I’m not sure if I would go back to this hotel…..but the location might be worth going back?! That eiffle tower looks pretty dreamy with all those lights! Also, those nutella and ice cream covered waffles?! OMG.

  16. Ali | Gimme Some Oven

    Paris!!! Those twinkly lights on the Eiffel Tower are magical! :)

    Oh my goodness, I’m afraid I would have a mini meltdown if I got stuck in an elevator. Glad that at least you and Kevin were in there together and could calm each other down! And WAY glad that it all turned out ok.

  17. Kristen

    The hotel looks so charming and quaint from the outside and what a view!!
    I’d be looking for somewhere else too if they were rude to you. Ugh!

  18. Anele @ Success Along the Weigh

    So glad you guys are okay after that elevator debacle! Um yeah, thank you for relaying that experience because I’m not ashamed to admit I AM a hotel snob and this would not fly. I probably would’ve left.

    Actually, we don’t stay in hotels anymore because we’ve just had way too many skeevy and/or noisy experiences in what are supposed to be high end hotels. We typically rent homes or condos when we travel now for the same or slightly more than we’d pay at a hotel. Maybe give it a peep for your next trip?

  19. Julie @ Table for Two

    Ummm yeah. I don’t think I’d ever stay there again, either. Getting stuck in an elevator is one of my biggest fears. I just keep thinking of the tower of terror (LOL) when I get stuck in one..I just think, omg the cable is going to snap and I’m going to be flying down however many flights. Haha! So glad you and Kevin made it out safely! So not cool for the front desk guy to blame y’all for breaking the elevator!! How about get it inspected?!

  20. Misty

    The elevator breaking sounds like a nightmare… but you really lost me at “floral hotel bedspread”. I refuse to stay in a hotel that has those god awful comforters!!!

    The rest of your trip looks amazing. Thanks for sharing with us!

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Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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